In a report assessing six Israeli attacks that caused a high number of casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, the U.N. human rights office (OHCHR) said Israeli forces “may have systematically violated the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.”
“The requirement to select means and methods of warfare that avoid or at the very least minimise to every extent civilian harm appears to have been consistently violated in Israel’s bombing campaign,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Wednesday.
Israel’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva characterized the analysis as “factually, legally, and methodologically flawed.”
“Since the OHCHR has, at best, a partial factual picture, any attempt to reach legal conclusions is inherently flawed,” the Israeli diplomatic mission said.
The report details six incidents that took place between Oct. 7 and Dec. 2, in which the U.N. human rights office was able to assess the kinds of weapons, the means and the methods used in these attacks.
“We felt that it was important to get this report out now, especially because in the case of some of these attacks, some eight months have passed, and we are yet to see credible and transparent investigations,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the OHCHR.
“We call first on the Israeli authorities to take steps to ensure that proper investigations, transparent investigations are held.”
She added that, in the absence of transparent investigations, there would be “a need for international action in this regard as well.”
